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Here, There And Everywhere: New Magnetic Elevators Can Go Sideways, Sky-High

The architecture of the future has already got some interesting plans in store for it, but how about for your average apartment or office dweller? With cities getting larger in population but not in landmass, some serious planning has had to happen in recent years to make sure that space is maximized for everyone who wants a slice of the urban pie. Now, thanks to new magnetic levitation technology, apartment and office buildings can take on different shapes with more human storage, as they are abetted by sideways elevators.

For the last 160 years, cable-tethered elevators have had all the pull, but now thanks to the German company ThyssenKrupp, the cord is being cut and a whole new way to rise up is going down. As Business Week reports, their MULTI elevator system uses the same sort of magnetic levitation system found in next-generation trains. This cuts the weight of a giant elevator cable and allows buildings to stretch even higher into the sky. The penthouse just got a little snootier from its perch in the clouds.

And height isn't the only advantage. The MULTI system will allow elevators to travel sideways in "loop" systems inherent to future architecture. Multiple cabins will reduce the waiting time (glory be), and thinner required shaft space will allow for more accessible living or working space for tenants. While the MULTI systems are slower than conventional elevators, they allow more time for sensitive ears to adjust to heights, and aid in more frequent travel thanks to the numerous cabins.

Love in an elevator actually could include an entire date, at these heights.(Image courtesy urban-hub.com.)

As explained by Andreas Schierenbeck, CEO of ThyssenKrupp Elevator, in a company press release, the standard elevator wait is a serious issue: “Per year, New York City office workers spend a cumulative amount of 16.6 years waiting for elevators, and 5.9 years in the elevators...This data provides how imperative it is to increase the availability of elevators.”

The MULTI will also increase the availability of artistic architecture, with mile- or two-mile buildings not out of the reach of accessibility if it is successful. A 2016 test tower will give more complete results. Until then, perhaps this innovation won't mind sitting to the side.

You could probably avoid getting back to the office all morning in one of these babies.(Image courtesy cnet.com.)